SSH Access - How to Connect to Your Hosting Account

SSH (Secure Shell) gives you command-line access to your hosting account. You can use it to run commands, manage files, execute scripts, and perform tasks that are not available through cPanel's web interface. SSH is available on all shared hosting plans but may need to be enabled first.

01. Enabling SSH Access

SSH access is available on shared hosting but may not be enabled by default. If you try to connect via SSH and receive a "disabled" or "connection refused" message:

1. Open a support ticket requesting SSH access
2. We will enable it for your account after verification
3. You will be notified when SSH is ready to use

02. How to Connect

Once SSH is enabled, connect using these settings:

• Host: your domain name (or server hostname from welcome email)
• Port: 7005
• Username: your cPanel username
• Password: your cPanel password

Mac and Linux

Open Terminal (built-in, no software needed) and run:

ssh -p 7005 yourusername@yourdomain.com

Accept the host key fingerprint the first time. Enter your cPanel password when prompted.

Windows

Windows 10/11 includes a built-in SSH client. Open Command Prompt or PowerShell and run the same command:

ssh -p 7005 yourusername@yourdomain.com

Alternatively, download PuTTY (free). Set the host, port to 7005, and connection type to SSH.

03. cPanel Terminal (No SSH Client Needed)

cPanel includes a browser-based terminal that gives you the same command-line access without installing any software:

1. Log into cPanel
2. Scroll to the Advanced section
3. Click Terminal
4. Accept the terms of service
5. Start typing commands

This is the fastest way to run quick commands. It works immediately without SSH being enabled separately.

04. SSH Client Software

If you prefer a dedicated SSH client:

• Windows: PuTTY (free), Windows Terminal (built-in on Windows 10/11), or MobaXterm (free)
• Mac: Terminal (built-in, no download needed)
• Linux: Terminal (built-in, no download needed)

05. Common Commands

# List files in current directory
ls -la

# Navigate to public_html
cd ~/public_html

# Check disk usage
du -sh ~/public_html/* | sort -rh | head -10

# Check PHP version
php -v

# Check Perl version
perl -v

# Find large files
find ~ -size +50M -type f

# Extract a zip file
unzip filename.zip

Quick Recap

1. cPanel Terminal - instant command-line access, no setup needed
2. SSH may need enabling - open a ticket to request it
3. Port 7005 - not the default 22
4. Mac/Linux/Windows 10+ - SSH client built in, just use Terminal
5. Older Windows - download PuTTY (free)

Last updated March 2026 · Browse all Getting Started articles · See also: Server Paths